The people of North Kayong Regency-West Kalimantan still uphold the culture of utilizing plants as food, known as North Kayong local vegetables. Preserving knowledge about existing local potential and its utilization can be done through education based on local wisdom or local potential. It can be employed as a tool to enhance the efficacy and…

Many students may not be aware that renewable biological materials can be converted into multiple bioproducts and biofuels using a biorefinery process, a more sustainable alternative to conventional crude oil refineries. By using waste from pineapple, a plant material that most students are familiar with, a biorefinery can be modeled to…

For most people, coffee roasting is a mysterious process. Chemically, it's equally mysterious; the roasting process gives rise to over 800 compounds. The science of coffee, from seed to bean to cup of aromatic brew, includes multiple areas of science content for students, and actively engages them in many science and engineering practices. Ask…

Herbivores are important to ecosystems because they transfer energy stored in plant matter to other organisms. However, when herbivores occur in high abundances, they can become pests and harm the plants that form the basis of food webs. Mangroves are saltwater tolerant trees found along most tropical and subtropical shorelines. Because mangroves…

Many fruits and vegetables undergo browning when they are cut and the tissue is exposed to the air. This is due to the activity of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO, EC 1.14.18.1) with endogenous substrates. In this laboratory experiment, students prepare slices of different varieties of apples and assess the rate of browning. They make a simple…

Where does our food come from? Such a question may be difficult for some children to answer, especially those living in a city apartment devoid of a backyard with a vegie patch or fruit trees. This article describes a learning experience designed to encourage Year 1 children to think about the foods that humans obtain from plants. The learning…

Taking objects apart including old electronics, product packing, and living plants, helps children understand how things work. Documenting this "unbuilding" or "deconstructing" encourages children to first consider the entire object, then the parts, and finally, the purpose of the parts. This article provides a lesson based on…

In this article, Claas Wegner, Phillip Weber, and Stephanie Ohlberger share how they have been teaching about variation and staple food crops in the teaching unit they tested with 8- to 10-year-old children. They started by showing some products made from crop plants and asking the class to carry out a simple comparison of similarities and…

Severe flooding was prevalent within the authors' region at the beginning of the school year. Many homes and fields were affected by the amount of rain that fell within a short period of time over multiple days. Their students were concerned about the impact this natural phenomena was having on their local community. Natural phenomena can provide…

There is always debate about when, where, and how to introduce students to vocabulary when teaching science. The authors argue that there is not necessarily a singular correct order or right time to introduce new vocabulary to students. Rather, what is important is that we support students in learning the language they need to engage in the…

Children may not be aware of the origin of much of their food, especially if they eat mostly processed foods. Schools that operate a garden are able to teach children how common foods are parts of plants. This column discusses resources and science topics related to students in grades preK to 2. In this month's issue students focus on…

A simple sensory assessment of apples provides an enjoyable and stimulating introduction to topics in genetics and the related areas of agriculture, selective breeding, and plant science.

This article describes an interrupted case study that intersperses information about diffusion and osmosis with content review and knowledge application questions, as well as a simple experiment that can be conducted without the use of a laboratory. The case study was developed for use in an introductory undergraduate biology course. The case…

Like the figurative apple for the teacher, the tomato is a well-known food symbol representing a variety of cuisines. We drew on current scientific research and partnerships with classroom teachers to develop a case study activity consisting of four layers to teach concepts of plant biology and genetics to middle and high school students. The goal…

Evidence suggests that student engagement in the material they are studying correlates well with better learning outcomes, and instrumental analysis modules structured to reflect student interests are of wide significance. The analysis of levels of dietary (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) and undesirable (Cd and Pb) metals in commercially available and wild…